Dog Owners, I Need Advise Please..

[fredp45]

I've had a lot of dogs...some things I'd recommend.

1. Buy them good food. It may cost more to buy a bag but you need less and it's way better for them. A lot of dog food has sugar, you want to avoid that. Buy IAMS or Pro Plan. If you've been feeding them crappy food, it'll take awhile for them to get use to the new food, don't give up. If they refuse to eat it for awhile, wait them out. They're freaking dogs, they'll eat cat poop with litter over it.

2. Give them food in the am and pm, and don't leave food out in the bowl. If they don't eat within 1 hour, take the food up and give it to them at the next feeding time.

3. Frontline is great for ticks & fleas. A monthly application on their scruff and our lab mix never gets anything and we live in the country. We don't do it in the colder months. You live near DC, so you can probably take off the 4-5 coldest winter months -- ask your vet about this.

4. Feed them as little as possible from the table. Don't kill them with love. I will give our dog meat, fat, etc... No starch, they fart a lot! Occassional biscuits are fine.

5. Get them into training when ready...you don't want a big dog jumping on visitors, or running away and not listening. Choke collars work great.

6. Get them use to other animals, other dogs, cats, etc...our lab likes to baby kittens, puppies, guinea pigs, etc...you don't want them chasing stuff all the time -- you end up spending time looking for them.

7. Give them lots of chew toys when young or they'll tear up all sorts of crap.

8. Crating is a great thing. We crate (or trap) our dog still and she's 13, she doesn't care, she walks right in. In fact, I find her in there at times. She run there when in trouble too.

9. Find someone to come into your home to feed and walk your dog, the less time boarded the better. They get sick there.

10. Buy a big shovel, they poop a lot!

[langleyparkjoe]

I've had a lot of dogs...some things I'd recommend.

1. Buy them good food. It may cost more to buy a bag but you need less and it's way better for them. A lot of dog food has sugar, you want to avoid that. Buy IAMS or Pro Plan. If you've been feeding them crappy food, it'll take awhile for them to get use to the new food, don't give up. If they refuse to eat it for awhile, wait them out. They're freaking dogs, they'll eat cat poop with litter over it.

2. Give them food in the am and pm, and don't leave food out in the bowl. If they don't eat within 1 hour, take the food up and give it to them at the next feeding time.

3. Frontline is great for ticks & fleas. A monthly application on their scruff and our lab mix never gets anything and we live in the country. We don't do it in the colder months. You live near DC, so you can probably take off the 4-5 coldest winter months -- ask your vet about this.

4. Feed them as little as possible from the table. Don't kill them with love. I will give our dog meat, fat, etc... No starch, they fart a lot! Occassional biscuits are fine.

5. Get them into training when ready...you don't want a big dog jumping on visitors, or running away and not listening. Choke collars work great.

6. Get them use to other animals, other dogs, cats, etc...our lab likes to baby kittens, puppies, guinea pigs, etc...you don't want them chasing stuff all the time -- you end up spending time looking for them.

7. Give them lots of chew toys when young or they'll tear up all sorts of crap.

8. Crating is a great thing. We crate (or trap) our dog still and she's 13, she doesn't care, she walks right in. In fact, I find her in there at times. She run there when in trouble too.

9. Find someone to come into your home to feed and walk your dog, the less time boarded the better. They get sick there.

10. Buy a big shovel, they poop a lot!

Fred lets see what I got so far with your list:

#1. Yup, we just switched her over to IAM from the regular purina puppy chow.

#2. Correct, we feed her once in the morning and once in the night. We switched over from 3x's a day when she turned 15 weeks and she handled it like a pro. We don't have that problem of leaving food in the dish as she eats 2 cups now and she eats all of it.

#3. I can't remember the name of the liquid we use but its a small applicator that we give her once a month and apply it directly to her coat. We rub it in all over her body and so far we haven't had any issues at all. *knock on wood*

#4. Little as possible? Bro, she gets NOTHING from the table. Heck no, no way, not happening.

#5. Yes sir... As a lab she gets excited when she sees anyone but that's also because we don't usually have a lot of visitors. Most times its just my daughter who I bring over and they obviously get along great. The jumping stuff we nipped in the bud almost immediately. As for running away, when she hears us raise our voices, she comes running back apologetically.

#6. I haven't had to deal with that yet because she just got her rabbies shot on Friday. Before that I couldn't have her around any animals (obviously I don't need to tell you that). I'm in an area with a lot of dog owners so now she'll be able to play with them.

#7. Here's my problem so far with these toys. For some reason, she always ends up chewing off pieces of her toys and swallowing them. It's caused her to have diarrhea a few times and its more of a trial and error thing at this point. Our vets pretty much said we have to find one that she can't go through very easily. I actually found a big blue rubber bone that she now has and she's yet to conquer it. Hopefully it'll last for a while cause she's now starting to teethe.

#8. I love crating! I do feel bad that I have her in there during the day when we're at work but she doesn't seem to mind at all. Your absolutely right too, when she's naughty and knows it she runs straight there before I even have to tell her to get in. Also what's cool is that she gets in there when she's finished eating. I usually let her sit around for 15minutes in there and then I take her for "the walk of dookey"

#9. A couple weeks ago we stopped coming home during the day as she was getting older now and I had spoken to multiple vets about how to do this and should I do it now, was it too early, etc. They pretty much all said there's not really a timeline on it but 15 weeks is a great time to start which we did. She did amazing bro, she didn't pee or dookey at all and I was real proud of her.

#10. LLS@Big Shovel... I know I'll have to get one coming up. Right now the wife and I use medical gloves and put it in grocery plastic bags. I dedicated a trash can that we keep outside to put it all in. I'm wondering if I need a diaper geanie next??? Ironically the snow has been my best friend.. I (not the Mrs.) leave it out there to get frozen and the next morning/night I go out and pick it up. BAM!.. No smell and its hard as a rock.

Thanks for the advice Fred, judging by what you got there it looks like I'm doing good so far. I'll post some snow pics soon. Take it EZ!

[langleyparkjoe]

2K10 Snow Fun...

Pop, what is this nonsense?


Stop taking pics and let's play!


Digging but finding only more snow!


She's EXHAUSTED after the snow fun. I didn't even tell her to sit!


Awesome, truely a guy's best pal

[flamethrower]

What an adorable puppy. I got a lab mix from the shelter. Poor thing had to learn how to be a pet. But after a year and a half she is a champ.

[Punu]

thanks a lot guys, now I miss my dog...

[langleyparkjoe]

So I have a question for ya. My Lab is shedding like crazy and her toys that she chews always gets a bunch of hair on it. I've noticed in her stool that she's obviously licking her crate alot and that's where majority of her hair is. Actually it's not just one question..

1.) I know licking is a dog thing, that's what they do but is there anything I can do as an owner to reduce that? I've started giving her more water when she eats and she eats a full two cups of food.

2.) As for her toys; after a while they get jagged edges due to her chewing that pick up the hair and though I clean it everyday it just happens over and over. I've come to the realization I may have to buy her a new toy everytime this happens but is there another way?

3.) How friggin long do these labs shed??? She's still a puppy so I guess her puppy hair is starting to come all out and I was told it's a spring thing..kinda like spring cleaning for dogs. Any ideas on this folks?

Appreciate the help

[langleyparkjoe]

So here is Sasha, she'll be 2 at the end of October and look how big she is. LOL. Great dog! (sorry pic is sideways..lol)